After the Night
by XxX Loveless19 XxX
Summary: Bella swan is a lawyer who is very immersed in her work. Then a routine client meeting turns dangerous-and deeply sensual- and leaves Bella questioning everything everything she thought she knew about herself and the world.


**Hey guys, this is my second fanfic! This one is going to be way better than my first one, I think. I was writing my other story, mean streak when this one just popped into my head. I knew I just had to get it down before all my good ideas were forgotten, so I will be writing this one while I am writing the other one. That's right guys, I am trying to multi-task. I hope it works!**

**I do not own twilight, or some of the themes I borrowed from the other book. I just own the nasty things Bella and Edward will do in future chapters, lol!**

**Hope you enjoy it!**

**On with the story…**

**Chapter 1 (Bella's point of view)**

I held my coffee cup in both hands as I looked at the computer screen. Smoke billowed up from the depths of the cup, and I breathed them in slowly and smiled. I closed my eyes and pretended the will I'd drafted and was reviewing was a distant memory. Being a lawyer was grueling work sometimes, especially if your father was one of the founders of the law firm you worked for. It was a Friday, and I thanked my lucky stars I didn't have to be here until late, as was usually the case.

"Do you have to do that?" I opened my eyes and saw my trusty executive assistant Angela Cheney was standing in the doorway of my office. Her long strawberry blonde hair was up in a bun, and a smirk was plastered on her face.

"Do what?" I asked as I looked back at the computer screen.

"That thing you do. You pick up the coffee mug, hold it close to your face, then it's like the steam takes you off into another world, like it's a magic carpet." She described what I did perfectly, but I wasn't going to let her in on that little secret.

"Oh my god, I think Jessica is going to go through all the lawyers at this firm!" I said with disgust. "You would think she would be able to keep her legs closed for at least a little while." Jessica Stanley was knows as the slut of the office. She was working her way around the entire law firm. She had gotten to almost everyone, including Mike Newton, which is why he was now my ex-boyfriend. We had been broken up for about a year because, according to him, he was drunk and he thought it was me trying to throw myself at him. Yeah, it was me, because I have platinum blonde hair and giant watermelons in my shirt. How did he think I became a lawyer, for god's sakes? I sure as hell wasn't stupid; that was why his ass was on the curb right now, and begging me to take him back.

"Ugh, look at her now," Angela said, looking behind her. I looked toward where she was looking, and snorted in disgust. Jessica currently had her slimy tentacles around my best friend, Jacob Black. His father was also a co-founder of the law firm, and Jacob was one of the only guys Jessica hadn't sunk her teeth into. He looked like he wanted to jump out of a window, and was looking around for a means of escape. I decided to give him one; after all, we have been friends since we were in pre-school. I walked up to his desk and gave him a wink. He just looked at me. I assumed it was because his happiness to see me left him speechless.

"Hey Jacob, I need you to look over these legal briefs with me," I said. Jessica immediately jumped off of Jacob's desk and glared at me.

"I'll come back later, when you're _alone_," She said, and sashayed away from his desk after she sent another glare my way. I chuckled under my breath.

"Where are the legal briefs?" Jacob asked me curiously. I looked at him in confusion for a second, but then I understood.

"I only made that up so I could get you out of her sticky situation," I said proudly. "You can thank me later."

"Bella, you have your six o'clock meeting to get to. Ms. Masen wants to discuss her will, and make sure everything is to her liking" Angela said. "It should be a pretty routine meeting. Now, I know it's only one thirty, but it will take you a while to get to California from Arizona." She handed me some papers.

"I got you a two forty-five flight so you better get a move on, sister," she said in a rush. "It will probably take you a couple of hours to get there." I rushed into my office, got my jacket and briefcase, and basically ran out of the office. I drove to the airport (thank god it wasn't that far away), parked my car in the storage facility, and barely made it to my flight. Once I got settled on the plane, I allowed myself to relax for a short time. I thought about Mrs. Masen, and thought about how she always asked me if I had found a nice man yet. I always had the same answer for her and she always had the same response to the resounding "no" I gave her: A nice woman like you shouldn't be alone. I drifted off and woke up with a jerk when I heard a woman's voice over the intercom saying the plane was getting ready to land in Los Angeles.

I got my things, and then headed out of the terminal to meet my driver. The whole drive to the Masen residence, I sat and looked out of the window at my surroundings. Even though I had seen the place over a dozen times, I was still in awe of it; I openly gaped at the large lawn, the pillars that ran along the front of the house. Everything was beautiful, and you could tell it had been chosen with care.

I got out of the car, paid the driver, and then thanked him. I turned towards the house and started up the long driveway. I stopped when I got to the huge, old- fashioned brass knocker. Before I could even lift my hand to knock, the door was opened, and the butler stood before me. He was a terribly old man whose name I could not remember. He had short, wispy hair, his eyes were sunken into his head; however, he was a very tall man. He had to be over six feet tall. I was standing at a good five feet four inches, so I always had to strain my neck to look at him.

"Hello, Ms. Swan," he said pleasantly. I was frantically trying to remember his name in my head. Was it Freddy- no, it started with an f, that much I knew for sure. It was probably Freddy.

"Hello, Fletcher, how are you doing?" I asked, his name finally coming to me. He stepped aside to let me in and we continued our small talk as we walked up the stairs.

"I am doing very well; Ms. Masen however is not feeling well at all. She is very weak," He said as we walked up another flight of stairs. Ms. Masen's room was on the third floor of the house.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I could come back another time if it's necessary, "I said, feeling immensely sorry for the old woman. She had been sick with cancer and had been holding on for a long time now. She was a strong woman.

"Oh, no it's O.K., there are a few things involving the will that need to be settled now," he said as he pushed open a door. I looked inside, and what lay before me was a pitiful sight. Ms. Masen was in the middle of a very large bed, and she looked pale and weaker than I had ever seen her. She was so thin; the slightest breeze would probably blow her away. She looked like a little child in a bed that was swallowing her whole, with her white hair fanned around her head on the pillow. I felt bad seeing her that way. She appeared to be asleep, but when Fletcher stepped up to the bed, her eyes open into little slits and she smiled up at him.

"Ms. Swan is here, Elizabeth," he said. He quickly bowed to her and stepped into a corner of the room.

"Come here and sit down, dear," she said in a tiny whisper. I idly wondered if that small sentence took the little bit of breath she had left right out of her as I sat down in the chair closest to her bed. She had her eyes closed and was taking shallow breaths.

"Hello Ms. Masen, "I said politely. I got the will out of my briefcase and gave her a chance to recuperate under the pretense of getting the papers together." You wanted to discuss your will?"

"Yes" she rasped out. "I wanted to make a few changes." It looked like it took all the strength she had to reach her hand out as if silently asking for the will. The will itself was very short. It gave money to various charities, and some to the law firm for which I worked because she was sponsoring it. Everything else went to Fletcher. Considering all the successful businesses Ms. Masen owned, not to mention the endless money that was in her bank account, Fletcher was to be a very rich man. To be honest, I didn't really him living much longer after his employer died. I mean, he _had _to be at least one hundred years old. Maybe the years had gotten to him, and he looked older than he seemed. He still had to be older than Ms. Masen.

"Have you found yourself a nice man yet?" Ms. Masen asked without looking up from the papers she was holding.

"No," I said softly, looking up at her through my lashes. If I was being really honest with myself, the whole relationship thing bored me. Before I was with Mike, I got into the whole dating thing, and I quickly realized that many men were intimidated by my independence. They got even more intimidated if I made more money than them, and tried to spend the whole date trying to one-up me. Frankly, the whole thing just got on my nerves. When I was with Mike, it was basically the same thing, except we had sex. Sex with Mike Newton was nothing to scream about. He was definitely a minute man, and I tried to avoid sex with him, but when I was drunk and horny, he took full advantage. After that, I usually had to go into the bathroom and pull out the ol' vibrator and give it a go.

Angela thought these relationship issues were because of my father or some shit, but it wasn't. In fact, my father had been supportive of everything I did. Angela's problem was that she had a loving husband, and two children, and she loved it; so she thought everyone should have it and love it too. I tried to tell her often that I did not envy those women that were lugging children around and cooing at them while they made faces and cried. She respected their decision, but she didn't envy them. She also didn't have a painful gaping hole in her heart because she was alone for Christmas, as I once overheard Angela saying to her husband, Ben Cheney.

"I would like to add more money to a few charities," Ms. Masen said. I was interrupted from my thoughts. "That is the only thing I would like to be changed. After I sign these papers would you like to stay for some tea? You must stay, really, it won't take long. Won't you?"

"Shall I get the tea?" Fletcher piped up from in the corner. The man almost gave me a heart attack. He had been so quiet I had forgotten he was there!

"Please, Bella, join me for tea." Hell. I had wanted to get back to Arizona. _ Client is always right. Client is always right, _I repeated to myself.

"Of course I'll stay, Ms. Masen," I said. She turned her head towards me and smiled her thanks.

"Good Fletcher, go get the tea. You can serve it when we're done with the papers. By the way, Bella, please call me Elizabeth." With that he left, and shut the door softly behind him.

"A few minutes Fletcher came back with a rolling cart laden with teacups and pastries of all kinds. He pushed it up to the side of the bed closest to me, and backed away. The hard wooden chair I was sitting on was becoming pretty uncomfortable, so I perched on the edge of it.

"Is that chair uncomfortable?" Elizabeth asked. "Fletcher will get another one for you."

"Fletcher didn't look like he could bring over a footstool, much less a chair.

"Oh, it's ok I'll-" I stopped midsentence because suddenly Fletcher was picking up one of the plush wooden chairs in the corner next to the desk and carrying it over to me. I had my mouth open in shock.

"Sit dear, and have some tea." I sat down in the chair as Elizabeth poured some tea into a teacup and handed it to me. After she handed me the cup, she leaned back onto her pillows and closed her eyes. I took a sip of the tea and found that it was really good. It was earl grey, and I usually did not like tea, but I drained my cup and was pouring myself another. I took a sip and looked up. The old woman's eyes were still closed.

"Ms. Masen?" There was a long silence and I wondered if the woman had fallen asleep. Or god forbid…

"Ms. Masen?"

Her pale lips barely moved. "Do you have a boyfriend yet?" Hadn't she already asked me that?

"Excuse-Er no."

"You are very beautiful, you know." Watery eyes opened and she turned her head on the pillow. "I would like you to meet my son."

"I beg your pardon?" Ms. Masen has a _son_?

"I have shocked you." A sad smile stretched her lips across her face. "Yes, I am…a mother. It happened a long time ago, and in secret- both the deed and the birth. We kept it all quiet. My father insisted, and he was right in making that decision. This is why I never married. How could I?"

Holy…mother of god. Back then, whenever "then" was women did not have children out of wedlock. It would have put a big stain on the reputation of a family as prominent as the Masens. That was probably why she never mentioned a son in her will.

"My son will like you."

That was a total no-go. If Elizabeth had a son in her early twenties, her son had to be seventy by now. Hell, the client might always be right, but I was not about to prostitute myself to keep a client.

"Ms. Masen, I don't think-"

"You will meet him. And he will like you."

I tried to assume my calmest, most diplomatic voice. "I'm sure he's a wonderful man, but it would be a conflict of interest."

"You will meet….and he will like you."

I took another sip of my tea. "What kind of Earl Grey is this? I don't think I've ever tried it before."

"Do you like it?" Elizabeth asked. I nodded and finished it. She closed her eyes with something that looked a lot like relief as Fletcher took away the empty cup.

"Well, Elizabeth, I think I better go now."

""My son is going to like you," the old woman whispered. "He's waiting for you."

I blinked and spoke up. "Actually, I have to be getting back home. Perhaps I could meet him some other time?"

"He needs to meet you now."

"I blinked again and heard my father's motto in my head: _The client is always right._ "If it's important to you, I could…" I swallowed. "I, ah…I could…"

Ms. Masen smiled a little. "It won't be so bad. He is just like his father. He is a lovely beast."

I rubbed my eyes. There were two Ms. Masens in the bed. Actually, there were two beds. So did that make two Ms. Masens; or eight?

Ms. Masen looked at me with a detachment that was discomforting. "You must try not to be afraid of him. He can be quite gentle if he's in the mood. I wouldn't try to run though. He will only catch you, after all."

"What-"My mouth felt dry and fuzzy, and when I heard a noise to my right, it was as if the sound came from a vast distance.

Fletcher was taking the silver tray off the cart and laying it on a dresser. When he came back to the cart, he extended a hidden panel out at the foot of it so the thing became like a stretcher.

I felt my bones loosen, and then collapse altogether. As I slid onto the side of the chair, Fletcher picked me up and carried me to the cart, just as easily as he had bought over that heavy chair.

He was laying me flat when my vision started to slip. Desperately, I tried to hold on to consciousness as I was wheeled down the hall into an old-fashioned brass and glass elevator. The last thing I saw before I passed out was the butler pressing a button marked "B" for basement.

The lift lurched and I sank with it, falling into oblivion.

**Are you guys wondering where Bella is going right now? And are you wondering who Elizabeth Masen's son is? These are the mysteries you will have to solve in the next chapter! YAY! **

**Is anyone totally digging on Fletcher and his super strength right now? H-O-T-T, right?**

**This story is definitely worth reading. I am going to work very hard on both stories I am writing, all for your reading pleasure.**

**S/n: Edward is a very different type of vampire than the one you all know and love. These fun **surprises** are going to come as you get introduced to him in the next chapter. Get ready for darkward, sexward, and any other hotward you can think of. This story is full of surprises. **

**Keep reading and Review please!**


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